1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), and, more particularly, to a particle remover effectively removing particles on a surface of a disk, and a ramp having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among the various computer storage devices, a hard disk drive (HDD) is used to reproduce stored data on a disk or to record data on the disk using a read/write head. In the HDD, the head, when being lifted to a predetermined height from a recording surface of the rotating disk, moves to desired locations by an actuator.
When the HDD does not operate, that is, when the disk stops rotating, the head is parked in an area outside the recording surface of the disk so as not to collide with the recording surface. This head parking system can be mainly classified as a contact start stop (CSS) system and a ramp loading system. The CSS system includes a parking zone, which does not allow data recording in an inner circumference of the disk to which the head is moved. The ramp loading system includes a ramp installed outside the disk and the head is parked on the ramp.
The CSS type of head parking system has a disadvantage in that a data storage space is reduced due to the parking zone, which is formed in the inner circumference of the disk. Accordingly, to meet the demand for high data recording density, the ramp loading type of parking system, which provides a larger storage space without forming the parking zone on a surface of the disk, is widely used.
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a conventional HDD with the ramp loading type of head parking system. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a magnified image of the ramp shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional HDD includes a spindle motor 12 installed on a baseplate 10, at least one disk 20 installed on the spindle motor 12, and an actuator 30 moving a slider 34, which includes a read/write head for reproducing and recording data to a predetermined location on the disk 20. The actuator 30 has a swing arm 32 coupled to an actuator pivot 31 installed on the baseplate 10 so that the swing arm 32 can rotate, a suspension 33 installed on one end of the swing arm 32 to support the slider 34 and elastically bias the slider 34 toward the surface of the disk 20, and a voice coil motor (VCM) to rotate the swing arm 32. The VCM includes a VCM coil 36 coupled to the other end of the swing arm 32, a lower yoke 37 installed on a lower portion of the VCM coil 36, and a magnet 38 attached to an upper portion of the lower yoke 37. In addition, the VCM may further include an upper yoke (not shown) installed on an upper portion of the VCM coil 36 and a magnet (not shown) attached to a lower surface of the upper yoke.
The VCM having the above structure is controlled by a servo-control system and rotates the swing arm 32 in a direction according to Fleming's rule via interactions of an electric current input into the VCM coil 36 and a magnetic field formed by the magnet 38. That is, if the power of the HDD is turned on and the disk 20 starts rotating in a direction indicated by arrow D, the VCM rotates the swing arm 32 counterclockwise (or in a direction indicated by arrow A) and moves the slider 34, including the read/write head, toward the recording surface of the disk 20. The slider 34 is lifted to a predetermined height from the surface of the disk 20 by a lift force generated by the rotating disk 20, and, in this state, the head mounted on the slider 34 reproduces data from, or records data to the recording surface of the disk 20.
When the HDD does not operate (i.e., the disk 20 stops rotating), the head is parked in an area outside the recording surface of the disk 20 so as not to collide with the recording surface. This is achieved by installing a ramp 40 adjacent to the disk 20, and extending an end-tap 35 to an outer end of the suspension 33.
The ramp 40 includes a fixed portion 41 installed on the baseplate 10, a supporting portion 42 extending from the fixed portion 41 toward the disk 20 that overlaps an outer edge portion of the disk 20, and a support surface 43 supporting the end-tap 35. An end portion of the support surface 43 is inclined so that the end-tap 35 can be smoothly loaded and unloaded. The end-tap 35 usually has a shape that is convex toward the support surface 43 to reduce the contact area with the support surface 43.
When the HDD is turned off and the disk 20 stops rotating, the VCM rotates the swing arm 32 clockwise (in a direction indicated by arrow B), and thus, the end-tap 35 is unloaded from the disk 20 to the support surface 43 of the ramp 40. On the other hand, when the HDD is turned on and the disk 20 starts rotating, the end-tap 35 is loaded from the support surface 43 of the ramp 40 to the disk 20 by rotation of the swing arm 32.
As described above, when the head is parked on the ramp 40, the actuator 30 may rotate freely to move the head from the ramp 40 to the recording surface of the disk 20 when the disk 20 receives external shocks or when vibrations are applied to the disk drive. This may result in the head and/or the recording surface of the disk 20 being damaged because the head may contact the recording surface of the disk 20. Accordingly, there is a need to lock the actuator 30 so as not to freely rotate when the disk 20 stops rotating. Thus, a latch 50 for locking the actuator 30 is provided.
A filter 60 is installed adjacent to the disk 20 to filter particles contained in air flowing inside the disk drive.
In the ramp loading type of HDD as presented above, when the end-tap 35 moves to the disk 20 or to the support surface 43 of the ramp 40, sliding friction is likely to occur between the end-tap 35 and the support surface 43 of the ramp 40. Over time, such friction may cause the support surface 43 of the ramp 40, which is usually formed of plastics, to wear away, resulting in the formation of particles. FIG. 3 shows particles attached to the conventional end-tap 35. In addition, the suspension 33 of the actuator 30 or the slider 34 may have particles such as burrs that are formed during production. Any particles that fall onto the surface of the disk 20 attach to the surface of the disk 20, particularly to the outer edge of the disk 20 near the ramp 40, due to shocks occurring when loading and unloading the end-tap 35. The particles attached to the surface of the disk 20 are not easily removed in spite of the centrifugal force created by rotations of the disk 20. Although the filter 60 is generally installed in the HDD, the filter 60 is only able to filter particles contained in the flowing air inside the HDD and cannot remove particles attached to the surface of the disk 20. Therefore, such particles damage the surface of the disk 20 by colliding with the head when the disk 20 is rotating, corrupting the surface of the disk and spoiling the head.
An HDD with a squeeze plate is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-101814. The squeeze plate restricts vibrations of the disk. However, the squeeze plate cannot remove particles attached to the surface of the disk.